The
Newspaper
 How
do I submit free listings to the Courier Times?
Does
the Courier Times use material from other sources?
Who
decides what news and feature stories gets in the
paper?
Who
decides what photographs get published?
Is
the Courier Times available online by computer?
How
do I 'talk to" or contact the Courier Times?
Newspaper Definitions
What's
the difference between a reporter, editor and columnist?
How
do you describe the editorial page?
What's
the "op-ed" page?
Errors/Complaints
How
does the Courier Times correct mistakes or clarify
material in the paper?
Archives
Can
I get copies of old newspapers?
Can
I get photographs that have appeared in the newspaper?
I
understand the newspaper has a library. Is it open
to the public?
The
Newspaper
How do I submit free listings
to the Courier Times?
We offer free listings to community groups and organizations
that appear on Monday in our Community Section. You may
mail your information to 8400 Route 13, Levittown, PA 19057,
or fax it to the Community Editor at 215.949.4177. Or, email
it to community@phillyBurbs.com
Please allow plenty of time for your listing to appear.
We suggest a three week lead time.
Does
the Courier Times use material from other sources?
Yes. The Courier Times staff is limited in number and can't
be everywhere, so some stories and photos in the Courier
Times are taken from "wire services", such as
Associated Press.
Such material is usually labeled with the reporter's name
and affiliation or the wire services name. (The term wire
service refers to the early days of newspapers when stories
were carried by teletype wire. With today's technology,
a lot of material is transmitted by computers or satellite.)
Material is also purchased from "news syndicates"
- companies that sell articles to papers around the world.
Examples of "syndicated" material include comics,
selected political and feature columns, and certain games
and puzzles. These items normally have copyright labels
indicating they're syndicated.
While the Courier Times subscribes to and pays for these
services like most papers, Courier Times editors review
and edit the material before it's published in the paper.
What determines the size of the newspaper? It seems to differ
each day?
The amount of advertising the Courier Times receives usually
determines how many pages a given edition of the newspaper
will have. The Courier Times tries to maintain an average
of 60 percent of space for advertising and 40 percent for
news and features over a seven-day period.
Based on that formula, the Advertising department each day
makes up a layout of the paper for the following day. This
layout, known as "the dummy", shows how much space
is reserved for ads and how much space is then left for
news and features.
A copy of "the dummy" is sent to each the news
department to help editors decide how to lay out their pages.
Although advertising generally determines the number of
pages in the paper, it has no effect on the news or editorial
content.
Who decides what news and
feature stories gets in the paper?
Our editors select what is newsworthy and prints those stories.
The specific content of any issue is based on several factors:
the communities that make up our market; the space available
for news, versus space for ads; the editors' own judgments,
influenced by each editor's experience and background; the
relative importance of events taking place on any given day,
as judged by the editors; and feed back we've received from
regular focus groups and meetings with our readers.
In any newspaper, the selection process is not flawless. Editors
decide what to publish based on their judgments and not on
some formula. If the selection of news did result from a formula,
many papers would look and read the same every day. Readers
should be able to choose among a variety of papers, to pick
the ones that best meet their needs.
Who decides what photographs
get published?
The same people who decide what news stories appear - editors.
Photos are used because they are graphically relevant to
a news story on the same page or because they are compelling
in their own right.
Occasionally, a photo will be used on Page 1, and the caption
will refer the reader to a story reported on a page inside
the paper. Some photos are used alone, because they are
so graphically descriptive a story is not necessary. Such
photos are called "stand alones". Also, some stories
are "photo-essays" - telling a story through a
series of pictures, with few words.
To contact the editors at the Courier Times, email us at
news@phillyBurbs.com
or call 215.949.4207.
Is
the Courier Times available online by computer?
Yes. The Courier Times Online edition can be found exclusively
by subscribing to our online edition. For
more information or to subscribe online please click here.
How do I comment on or complain
about something in the paper?
We encourage you to contact us if you are unhappy about the
accuracy of a particular story or you want to talk with somebody
about your complaint. Call us daily at 215.949.4207 or 215.949.4160.
You may also email us at news@phillyBurbs.com
or drop us a letter in the mail.
How do I 'talk to"
or contact the Courier Times?
The Bucks County Courier Times contains a directory
on Page 2 the newspaper lists phone numbers of the
individual departments, as well as those for home
delivery and advertising. You can also find contact
information online by clicking
here.
Newspaper
Definitions
What's the difference
between a reporter, editor and columnist?
A reporter gathers facts and information on an event of
public interest and then presents them in a readable style
to inform the reader. The reporter is supposed to provide
objective observation about events that editors deem newsworthy.
Reporters are often assigned to "beats," or particular
areas, such as business, politics, education or sports.
Sometimes reporters don't write the stories they cover.
For example, a reporter at the scene of a story occasionally
must dictate the material by telephone to another reporter
who writes it in the newsroom to meet the deadline for the
next day's issue.
An editor serves many functions. While specific responsibilities
may differ according to title or newspaper, an editor may
do one or more of the following: assign reporters, decide
which news events to cover, edit (revise) reporters' stories,
decide what stories get published, determine where each
story will be placed in the paper, write headlines, and
select photographs for the paper. At larger papers, each
section (e.g., Business, Sports) has one or more editors
responsible for the content of that section.
A columnist gives opinions, usually his or her own. A columnist
is expected to gather accurate information, just as a reporter
does, and then comment on that information. A columnist
has more latitude and license than a reporter and is not
constrained by the rule of impartiality that governs news
writing. While they are subject to the editing and approval
of one or more editors, columnists can write just about
what they please, as long as it remains within the boundaries
of good taste and public acceptability, as defined by the
paper.
A political (or editorial) cartoonist also gives opinions,
but rather than do it with words, he or she does it with
cartoons.
How do you describe the
editorial page?
The editorial page contains several elements, including, as
the name suggests, the editorials - the opinions or positions
of the newspaper on major issues of local or national public
policy, such as pending legislation or social or political
issues.
The page also carries the daily political cartoon - the opinion
of the cartoonist - and the letters to the editor - the opinions
of our readers. The page also lists the names and titles of
the paper's owners and department heads.
To reach our Editorial Page editor, Guy Petroziello, by email:
gpetroziello@phillyBurbs.com
or call 215.949.4162. You may forward your Letter to the Editor
to our main address: 8400 Route 13, Levittown, PA 19057.
What's the "op-ed"
page?
" Op-ed" is short for "opposite editorial,"
meaning the page is physically opposite the editorial page.
This page carries opinion columns about major news events
and current topics. These columns may or may not be written
Courier Times staff and carry a range of opinions within political
or social spectrums.
Sometimes the Courier Times publishes syndicated columnists
from other newspapers; sometimes articles from local individuals
- business, political, educational, or other leaders in the
community.
How does the Courier Times
correct mistakes or clarify material in the paper?
Corrections appear on page 2 as soon as we are notified and
are able to publish the correct information. Corrections include
the original date of the story, the incorrect portion of the
story along with the correct information.
Archives
Can I get copies of old
newspapers?
Our
library of clippings, microfilm and reference books is not
open to the public, however, backdated newspapers are available
for purchase by calling 215.949.4000 during regular business
hours. We keep newspapers for one year. If you need a paper
from an earlier date, go to your local Bucks County library
information desk. Most have microfilm of our newspaper.
Can
I get photographs that have appeared in the newspaper?
Yes! You can even order it online on
this web site by clicking here.
Besides full-color, high quality prints in a variety of
size options, we also offer unpublished news-quality photos
and an interesting assortment of items for your photo to
be transferred onto, i.e. mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, puzzles,
and more!
I
understand the newspaper has a library. Is it open to the
public?
Our
library of clippings, microfilm and reference books is not
open to the public. If you need a paper from an earlier
date, go to your local Bucks County library information
desk. Most have microfilm of our newspaper. |
